River City Melee: Battle Royal Special
River City Melee: Battle Royal Special (ダウンタウン乱闘行進曲 かちぬきかくとうSP Downtown Rantō Kōshinkyoku: Kachinuki Kakutō SP, which roughly translates to "Downtown Brawl March: Win Through Fighting SP") is a tournament-style fighting game developed and published by Arc System Works, released for the PlayStation 4 on December 26, 2016 in Japan. The game was released in the West on March 28, 2017. The game acts as a sequel to River City Super Sports Challenge ~All Stars Special~ and has similar gameplay which focuses only on the Battle Royal event. The game adds new arenas, tweaks the movesets of every character (removing running event specific moves) and has all the DLC teams from the previous game available from the start. The game expands on the Nekketsu State from the previous game by adding a Rage Meter which triggers its effect. Each team now also has their own story in the Single Play mode which makes many jokes and references from previous games in the Kunio-kun franchise. The game was released for Microsoft Windows (via Steam) on September 14, 2017. Development Ryohei Endo, director of the BlazBlue fighting video game franchise, worked on the game to improve the quality of the fighting system. Balance adjustments and in-depth fighting characteristics were added to the gameBlazBlue Director Helping Out (Siliconera). Story The sports competition between rival high schools organized by Tōdō Mamoru, the student council president of Reihō Academy, ended with the victory of Nekketsu High School, led by the notorious troublemaker, Kunio. Just a few days later, mysterious posters for a fighting tournament appeared on the backstreets, and a string of strange attacks began... Sensing a new enemy behind these attacks, Kunio and his gang decide to join the mysterious fighting tournament. Gameplay The game has three game modes: Single Play, Free Battle and Online Battle. There is a separate Option mode to configure game settings. Changes from ~All Stars Special~ * Since the Cheerleader team is available from the start as part of the story and Hasebe is the captain of that team, Nishino (the Hanazono High School cheerleader in Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari: Yakyū de Shōbu da! Kunio-kun) takes the master of ceremonies role. * The player can now see the stats of each character on a team with the press of a button. This is done in the team select screen, in the pause menu and the character select screen before each fight. Players can also see each of the character's techniques and how to perform them. File:Rcm_nishino.png|Nishino acting as the game's M.C. in place of Hasebe. File:Rcm_buttons.png|Button configuration prior to a match. File:Rcm_status.png|Character status and technique list in the pause menu. * The game has a Rage Meter, which fills up when the player takes damage. Once full, the techniques of each character are upgraded. Kunio's Mach Kick will change to Mach Kick II, which is the same move but he ends it with an upward kick that sends opponents flying, for example. During Rage Mode, the character's overall stats will also be enhanced. * Characters have new and different move sets from ~All Stars Special~. Moves from non-fighting events have been removed in favor of new moves that fit better for combat. Controls The in-game controls are the same from the previous game. The game now includes a help screen which shows the in-game controls from a game pad and the keyboard. It is accessible from the title screen and the Pause Menu. Players can also configure the in-game buttons in the Pause Menu and in the Character and Team Select Screen. It is possible to toggle an option to allow the player to jump by pressing both the punch and kick buttons simultaneously like in the original Famicom game. File:Rcm_controls.png|Gamepad controls. File:Rcm_keys.png|Keyboard controls. File:Rcm_help.png|Additional keyboard controls. Characters can Run by pressing Left and Right Directional Pad twice. Tapping the Jump button will make the character perform a Short Hop. When an opponent is stunned, characters can use different finishing attacks. Pressing the Punch Button will trigger an Uppercut. Holding the directional pad towards opponent and pressing the Punch Button, the character throws a Straight Punch. Characters perform a Knee Kick on stunned opponents with the Kick Button. Pressing the Punch Button near an object on the ground (be it a knocked out character or item) allows the player to Pick It Up. While holding a weapon or item, the character uses it with the Punch Button. If it is a weapon, characters strike with it. Pressing the Kick Button while holding an object or character allows the player to throw them. While lifting up an opponent, players have access to three throws, which are performed by pressing a direction and the Kick Button. These are the Giant Swing (Left or Right on the Directional Pad), the Power Bomb (Down on the Directional Pad) and the Upper Throw (Up on the Directional Pad). Some characters have unique throws that replace these throws. If a weapon is thrown towards the player, they can press the Punch Button to catch it in midair. Single Play In this single player only mode, the player can select any of the game's 25 teams to witness their story. The game has three difficulty levels: Easy, Normal and Hard. In the first three stages of the game, the player will face off against three different teams in three round matches. The opponent in the fourth stage depends on the team being used, and that will also determine the number of rounds for that match. The fight in this stage is always done as a Tag Match regardless of opponent (the player controls one character and selects a teammate controlled by the CPU). The fifth stage is single round match against a single opponent using a single character. This is the only instance in the game where such a fight is possible. Most characters will face a member of Wu Wonfu in this stage. For the sixth and final stage, the player has to face the remaining members of Wu Wonfu and the Mastermind behind the tournament in a three round Tag Match. If the player wins, they get to watch their team's ending and the game's staff credits. Free Battle Up to four players can fight each other in this mode. If there is a lack of players, the remaining teams are controlled by the CPU. Players must first configure the match options under the Rule Settings. Team Settings: Players can select from Battle Royal (default) or Tag Match. In Battle Royal, all four teams compete against each other in a Free-for-All. In Tag Match, after players select their teams, they get to place two teams together. Number of Matches: Determines the number of rounds (default is 3). Matches can have a minimum of 1 round and a maximum of 9 rounds. Time: The time limit for each round (default is 5). The minimum is one minute and the maximum is 9 minutes. Number of Items: The number of items that show up each round (default is 3). Players can decide to use no items at all, or place a maximum of 6 items in the arena. Fall Verdict: Players can set the rate of damage that characters take if they happen to fall of the arena. Default is disqualification. Other options are 10, 30 and 100 damage. Stage Select: Selects the arena the match takes place in. If Random, the arena will randomly change with each round. BGM Select: Players can switch the background music for each match. If Random, the music will be different for each round. Once players confirm their settings, they get to choose and set their teams. Once they complete their matches, players are returned to the Rule Settings screen. Online Battle This mode allows a single player to play online against other players. If there is a total of two players, it is possible to set the remaining players as CPU. Quick Match: Immediately finds a room with predetermined settings. Create Room: Players can configure a room with specific settings. Search Room: Searches for rooms created by other players. Rule Settings used in Free Battle are also used here. Options This mode has similar options to ones used in ~All Stars Special~. Save Management now gives players the option to save the game at anytime, as the previous game only saved automatically. Various Settings This section has options that allows players to configure the volume of the music and sound used in the game. They can also determine the speed of dialogue text used in game (speeds include Slow, Normal, Fast and Immediately). There is also an option to configure the game's button mapping. The final option allows for the in-game language to be changed. Special Moves Guide A picture and command guide of all the Special Moves in the game, just like ~All Stars Special~. All moves in the game are shown in the list below in the order that they appear in the Western versions of the game (the localization names are listed in parenthesis where applicable). The Self-Rotating Torpedo (Kaiten Torpedo) is not listed here, it is listed in the item list below. The moves used by the Wu Wonfu team and Munakata are not shown in the Special Moves Guide, they are listed below. These moves could originally be performed by the player if they were controlling Matsudo (the player cannot transform into Munakata, however), but version 1.02 of the game has since made the bosses playable: Music Guide The game has the same tracks from the previous game, but also includes some new ones, some of which are arrangements from previous games. Some of these arrangements are meant to complement the new stages in the game. Some of the music goes unused in the PC version of the game, just like in ~All Stars Special~. The table below only lists the new tracks introduced in the game, in the order that they appear in the localized version of the game. Display Setting Players can set the screen's resolution and also set the game to full screen or windowed. Items The items in the game are the same ones used in ~All Stars Special~. Stages The game has seven arenas, three were previously available in ~All Stars Special~. * Battle Ground: The original Battle Royal arena. Players need to be wary of not being thrown out of the stage. * Large Battle Ground: A large arena where fast movement is key, players do not have to worry about being tossed out. * Small Battle Ground: In this narrow arena, players should prioritize tossing their opponents of the stage. * Fight Destruction: The same as the Large Battle Ground, but the floor is unstable. If players fight in an area of the arena too long, the floor will break, creating the possibility for ring outs. * Soccer Field: A large stage, there is a goalie and a soccer ball in this arena. Scoring a goal will inflict damage on all opponents. * Factory: This arena has conveyor belts which can hinder movement and cause ring outs. The buttons on the left and right side corners of the stage can be pressed to summon items at the center of the stage, which then travel through the conveyor belts. * Wharf: A large stage with no ring outs, but there are roadblocks at the center of the stage dividing the arena, requiring players to jump over it. The motorcycle in the stage can be driven and players can crash it into their opponents. File:Rcm_destruction.png|The Fight Destruction stage with one of the floor areas destroyed. File:Rcm_court.png|The Soccer Field is the only stage with the cheering squad of each team. File:Rcm_factory.png|Items can be summoned by pressing the buttons in the corners of the stage. File:Rcm_wharf.png|Players can ride a bike in the Wharf stage and crash into their opponents. Scoring Just like in the Battle Royal event of ~All Stars Special~, being the last one standing is not enough to guarantee that players will win the competition. The game keeps track of the player's score, and the team with the highest score will win. Players are awarded the following points after each round: * 1st Place: 100 Points * 2nd Place: 75 Points * 1st Place: 50 Points * 1st Place: 25 Points In each round, actions taken by the player will also increase or decrease their points. Attacking an opponent can earn the player from 3 to 6 points. Players are awarded 5 points if they knock out an opponent and they have no Stamina left. Originally, if players accidentally fell off the arena, they would be deducted 100 points. In version 1.01 of the game, this was changed to 50 points. Characters The game has the same playable characters from the previous game. The characters that could be unlocked in the previous game (with one exception) do not return, though Tōdō does make an appearance in the game. The game also introduces a new set of antagonists, Wu Wonfu. The characters introduced as DLC in the previous game appear as well and are involved in the game's story. Teams All 25 team are playable from the start. Each team still has six members. The Captain and Vice-captain bonus from the previous game is removed, as well as the Swimming stat. The Cost system from the previous game is also not utilized. Nekketsu High School The Nekketsu High School team led by the Hot-Blooded Tough Guy himself, the Righteous Delinquent Kunio. The rest of the team is composed of sophomores and freshmen, as Sugata was once again unable to gather seniors (and they are annoyed of him now). * Match 4: The Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Sumi of Wu Wonfu (full name Sumi Monji) * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Hanazono High School A team led by the school's banchō, Mach Punch Riki. A passionate team centered around friendship with many fighting type characters. Yoshino is recruited by the team using a lecherous magazine once again. * Match 4: The Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Miyagasaki of Wu Wonfu (full name Miyagasaki Yōki) * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Reihō Academy A team assembled by Tōdō of the strongest fighters in the academy, with the intention to crush other schools. It is led by the Double Dragon brothers, and they also have two members of the Shitennō: Kobayashi, who is as good as any captain, and Mochizuki, the fastest fighter in the academy. * Match 4: The Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Shimokita of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata School Union Gōda's charisma brings together a team of banchōs from other schools. Gōda has a personal investment in the tournament, as whoever is behind it as framed him by attacking biker gangs while using his name and appearance. * Match 4: The Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Naka of Wu Wonfu (full name Naka Masaya) * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Reihō Shitennō The Shitennō, led by Kobayashi and with two members of his guard, Aoki and Tomiyama. Their intention is to uncover the power behind the tournament, aware that they cannot rely on Tōdō. * Match 4: School Union (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Miyakoda of Wu Wonfu (full name Miyakoda Zen) * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Reihō Former Student Council A group of talented students led by the former Student Council president of the academy, Onizuka. * Match 4: Shitennō (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Miyagasaki of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Reihō Sports Club A gathering of members from the athletic clubs in the academy, led by the rich and selfish Reika of the Gojōin family, which is similar to the Tōdō group. They are quick but lack physical strength. * Match 4: The Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Shimokita of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Senridai High School The Senridai Bombers, led by Sonokawa. They have trained a lot since the previous sporting event. * Match 4: The Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Shimokita of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Kagemura Academy The only team that was not invited to the tournament, they enter to gain fame by defeating Reihō, Kunio and Riki. The remaining members of the team, Mochida, Kondō, Ōnishi and Kai, transferred from Matagawa Industrial High School after seeing Kamijō and Yamamoto's determination when fighting Kunio and Riki. * Match 4: Reihō Academy (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Miyakoda of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Meian High School A group of students who have been given mysterious powers. Meian High School is the same school that Yamada transferred to after his defeat against Kunio. Two members from the team are capable of using his art. * Match 4: Nekketsu High School (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Miyagasaki of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Akiba College A team of otaku, they are not very strong, but have made research on video games and other fighters to learn their moves. * Match 4: Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Miyagasaki of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Shiguma High School A soccer team formed by a former bōsōzoku gang. They are admirers of Gōda and have entered the tournament to clear his name. * Match 4: Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Naka of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Osorezan Commercial High School A gathering of psychics, a team with a powerful defense and high speed. * Match 4: Shiguma High School (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Sumi of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Hattori Academy A team of ninjas, they are quick but have low defense. The patriarch of the Hattori family and father to the Double Dragon brothers is their school principal. * Match 4: Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Naka of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Yurigaoka Girls High School A team of girls who admire Gōda, they join the competition for the same reason as Saji and Shiguma High School team, to investigate the accusations against Gōda and clear his name. * Match 4: Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Shimokita of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Cheering Girls A team composed of the cheerleaders and managers of the original teams in the Famicom version, along with Kōzuki and Hasebe. A technical team, each member has three Special Moves. * Match 4: Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Shimokita of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Team Misuzu The antithesis of the Cheering Girls, led by Misuzu with other fighting girls from the Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun series. * Match 4: Nekketsu Dodge Ball Club (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Shimokita of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata World Team A team of athletes from around the world, led by Johnny and Raphael (from Bikkuri Nekketsu Shin Kiroku! Harukanaru Kin Medal). Members include Heilman and Lao Chen from Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu and the Lee brothers from the Double Dragon series. * Match 4: Nekketsu High School (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Miyakoda of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Japan Team A coalition of Japanese elites from previous games in the Kunio-kun franchise. Led by the Tiger Brothers from Nekketsu Kakutō Densetsu, the team has Tsuge, the captain of the Hattori Academy baseball team in Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari, Tobiyama, the captain of the Daisetsuzan High School's Hockey Club in Ike Ike! Nekketsu Hockey Bu: Subette Koronde Dairantō, Genei from Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu: Soccer Hen, and Ken from Kunio-tachi no Banka. * Match 4: Reihō Academy (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Miyakoda of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Tobioka CC Michael Tobioka's robots from River City Super Sports Challenge. He continues his quest to defeat Kunio. * Match 4: Nekketsu High School (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Sumi of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Lion Alliance The Kanto Lion Alliance that tried to take over Tokyo in River City: Tokyo Rumble. Many believe that it is Ginjishi, and not Gōda, who is responsible for the attacks. * Match 4: Shiguma High School (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Naka of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Outlaw A team comprised of villains from the Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun series, led by Sabu. Other members under him first introduced in Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun Special (Katsuji, Tetsu and Lee) are members of the team. The other two members are his brother Lee and Yoshihiro, the final boss from Shodai Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun. They join forces to finally get rid of Kunio. * Match 4: Hanazono High School (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Misuzu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Kunio Nekketsu Dodge Ball Club Kunio and Hiroshi and the remaining members of the Nekketsu High School's Dodge Ball Club. Oddly, Hiroshi is the one who receives the invitation to the tournament and not Kunio, as the host of the tournament has a history with Hiroshi. * Match 4: Tiger Brothers (1 Round) * Match 5: Miyagasaki of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Munakata Jidaigeki The heroes of the historical period drama, characters from a Downtown Nekketsu series playing roles of the Edo period. Or are they travelling through time? * Match 4: Nekketsu Magical Story (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Naka of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Nekketsu Magical Story A team of knights and magicians, the characters of the Downtown Nekketsu series in a magical world. Have they traveled to another world, or are they playing characters again? * Match 4: Jidaigeki (3 Rounds) * Match 5: Sumi of Wu Wonfu * Final Match: Wu Wonfu led by Matsudo Wu Wonfu (Single Play) Led by a man named Tsubaki (full name Tsubaki Yasuaki), he created a coalition with the other members by teaching them a mystery move. Their power grew considerably and they needed more men to dominate the nation, which is part of the reason for why the tournament was hosted. Wu Wonfu is known for their savagery, as whomever they defeat must either obey and join the organization, or be crippled. The members featured on the team depend on the team being used in Single Play. Before facing the team proper, the player will fight a single member of the team (predetermined depending on the team being used). Wu Wonfu (Free Play) The boss team featured in Single Play was initially unplayable. The game was updated in January 25, 2019 allowing players to use the bosses in Free Play. They have been split into two teams: Wu Wonfu, which includes the new characters, and Mastermind Team, which has Yuuji Munakata as captain and Matsudo in his school uniform as vice-captain, and removes Tsubaki and Sumi. With the exception of Tsubaki, all members had all their stats lowered slightly. Mastermind Team Matsudo in this team has higher stats compared to his version in the Former Student Council. The remaining members of Wu Wonfu had their stats decreased slightly. Sequel An improved version of the game, River City Melee Mach!!, was released on October 10, 2019 for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC. The game has a new item type, the Bamboo Shoot. When characters eat this item, they grow gigantic. Baseball bats, stun guns and new drinks with new effects have also been added. Free Battle also has two new game modes, Change Match and Endless Battle, while it splits the Battle Royal and Tag Match rule settings into two separate modes. Change Match allows players to switch characters after they are knocked out, and the select character arrives with a Surprise Box which has a random effect when used. Endless Battle is a single player mode in which the player selects a character and must fight until their Stamina is completely depleted. All characters had their Special Moves changed and improved. Kunio's Mach Kick is changed to the Mach Kick A, which is the Mach Kick II from River City: Rival Showdown, while Toraichi's Mach Kick is the Tiger Fang, his version of the Mach Kick in Nekketsu Kakutō Densetsu. The game also allows for special moves to be chained together, and they can be canceled by pressing the attack buttons when they connect, making combos with all moves easier. The game also includes five new teams: * Legend, which features characters from Nekketsu Kakutō Densetsu * Kirisame Commercial High School, led by Kazaoka and first introduced in Downtown Nekketsu Baseball Monogatari * Hinoshima High School, which features completely new characters. * All US, which has multiple American characters from various sports games in the Kunio-kun franchise. * World Soccer, which has characters from Kunio-kun no Nekketsu Soccer League. Players also have the option to create their own teams using the characters in the game. Additional characters and teams can also be unlocked as well. The game also features new stages and music. Trivia * After the School Union defeats the Tiger Brothers, they reveal that their reason for antagonizing Kumada is that he played the role of Torazō in Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki da yo Zen'in Shūgō!. * In the prologue story of the World Team, Billy mentions William, the captain of the American Dodge Ball team (who looks like Heilman). However, Jimmy confuses him with Williams, the common enemy in the Double Dragon video games. * When the World Team meets Wu Wonfu, Jimmy is shocked to see Tsubaki and refers to him as Chin Taimei, but Tsubaki corrects him. Tsubaki is a chibi-version of Chin Taimei. * When the World Team first meets Matsudo, he mentions the Master Glasses that he received from Lao Chen. Lao Chen sold this item in Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki, which allowed players to learn the special moves of the bosses they defeated. Matsudo also debuted in the game as Nizaemon (many characters address him as such as well). * During the prologue story of the Japan Team while discussing Ken, Toraichi breaks the fourth wall by saying that Ken played the role of Kunio's brother in Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka, but he considers Kunio a rival he must defeat now. Gallery Videos File:ダウンタウン乱闘行進曲 熱血でクリアっ！【PS4】(920kun) File:ダウンタウン乱闘行進曲 花園でクリアっ！ 【920kun】 File:【乱闘行進曲】オン対戦 3「応援ガール霧島のためパンチ」【920kun】 External links * Official site (Japanese) * Official site (English) * Physical copy at Limited Run Games * PlayStation Store page * Steam page * Strategy Wiki (in Japanese) References Category:Sports Games Category:Fighting Games Category:Games Category:Arc System Works